1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a secure mounting for using and storing audio equipment in a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to a mounting that automatically moves the radio inside an opening within the dash when the vehicle is not operating and closes and locks a door in position over said opening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Anti-theft devices for radios and stereo equipment in motor vehicles are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,632 to Pori discloses an anti-theft assembly to fasten a radio receiver into dashboards of motor vehicles. In the Pori patent, a radio is located within a housing, which in turn is located within an opening of a dashboard. Two doors are pivoted to a wall of the housing for closing the opening. The housing is maintained in a fixed position and the radio is movable between a recessed position within said dashboard and an extended position where a front surface of the radio is substantially flush with the opening. The doors are hinged to an upper and lower front edge of the housing. When the radio is in an extended position, the doors are open and in a horizontal position. When the radio is moved rearward, the movement of the radio pulls the doors closed. The radio is held within the housing by a single pin. Unfortunately, this device has some disadvantages in that the front doors can be pried open and the radio can be forced from the housing by overcoming the force of the single pin holding the radio within the housing. Also, when the radio is in an extended position, the doors can interfere with user access to the radio. Also, the radio described in Pori can be difficult to remove when the owner of the vehicle requires the radio to be replaced without breaking or bending the single pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,646 to Zambias describes an anti-theft device for automobile audio equipment in which the radio remains in a fixed recessed position within an opening in the dash of a motor vehicle. A sliding door is movable between a closed position blocking the opening and an open position permitting access to the radio. The door slides vertically upward and downward within suitable channels and is operable by means of a switch on the dash. The door extends beyond a lower edge of the opening so that the door cannot be easily pried open. This device suffers from a disadvantage in that the radio is not readily accessible to a user when the door is open. For example, particularly when the user is a driver, it can be difficult to tune or otherwise adjust the radio. Often, the user's vision of the radio will be blocked by a hand of the user which is inserted into the opening to adjust the radio. Also, if a thief is able to smash or otherwise remove the door, the radio is no more difficult to remove than a radio that is not recessed.